An Assassin in Our Midst
by Fell-and-Fallen
Summary: After a terrible accident when she was young, Ash has been searching desperately for her father, and finally is given the chance to find him on one condition: destroy the ninja. Seems simple enough, but when she finds herself enjoying life with her new friends, she has to decide which is more important to her, and it's only a matter of time until they discover her terrible secret.
1. The Deal

_So after re-reading my series, I've decided to go back and clean/add some things that I missed and thought would be much better on the eyes. Most changes won't be too drastic, but I do hope they'll make this story more enjoyable. As always, if you have any ideas or anything you'd like me to change, feel free to write me a message._

_Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this again :)_

_-Fell_and_Fallen__

* * *

"So this is where you've been all this time."

I jump, sending my knife veering far off course. The deer I was aiming for rushes off into the bushes, but that doesn't matter. I turn slowly, heart pounding, wondering who just spoke to me. It's been a very long time since I've heard another human voice speak directly to me. Years, actually.

Standing behind me are a few people dressed in dark, military-like uniforms. Most of them are men, but there are one or two women whose eyes flash behind black masks. One of them steps forward, a tall, young-looking man, and he's wearing a thick black hood that shrouds his entire face. His voice tells me he's smiling, but I can't know for sure.

"Surprised to see us?" he asks, taking a few steps closer to me. "How long has it been since you've seen another human being, princess? It's a shame, really, to hide such a pretty face from the world."

My hand closes around my other knife and I raise it up in half a second. The man stops, the point of my knife tickling his throat.

"Who are you?" I demand, my voice solid and strong despite the pounding in my ears. "Why are you here?"

"We're friends, princess," the man raises his hands to show me he's unarmed, but something tells me he's hiding a weapon somewhere in his clothes. "Just here for a visit."

"As if," I scoff, not moving my blade. "Did they send you to finish me off?"

"So untrusting," the man clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "I'm here to make you an offer."

I can't help but laugh. "And what could you possibly offer me?" I chuckle. "Money? I have no need for it. Fame? I've had enough of."

"What about your father? You've been looking for him for a very long time, haven't you?"

My blood freezes and the knife in my hand wavers a little. "What do you know about my father?" I demand in a voice that quivers despite myself. A face flashes behind my eyes- a dark caring gaze, a warm contagious smile that split his face evenly. My father… it's been such a long time since I've seen his face or heard his voice. I've never believed he was dead, but I can't imagine how these people know him.

"We have some information about where he might be," the man scooches closer and I catch a glimpse of a bright white smile, "and we will graciously share it with you, but only if you do what we ask."

I drop my hand completely. "What is it you want me to do?" I ask, my curiosity piqued. "If you want me to…"

"Oh no, princess. Nothing like that," the man chuckles softly as he walks behind me and slides his hands onto my shoulders. I can't hold back a shudder as he whispers the next words in my ear. "We just need you to eliminate a few ninja."

I gasp, but can't bring myself to pull away. "You want me to kill someone?"

"It's no big deal, especially for someone as… experienced as yourself," the man's breath warms the skin of my neck, sending goosebumps rippling up my arms. "They're pests, really, and don't you think that your father is worth more than them? The man who raised you and loved you over a few strangers?"

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" I ask. "What proof do you have that my father is alive and you know where he is?"

"I think this will suffice," the man pulls something out from his pocket. I gasp at the sight of my father's necklace; something I've never seen him go a day without. The man loops the thick chain around my neck, fastening it so the glistening gold sun nestles comfortably against my collar. He laughs little at my stunned reaction. "Is that good enough for you?"

I turn to face the man, but all I see is darkness under the fabric of his hood. "How will I know you'll lead me to him once I… do this?"

"I'm glad you asked, princess," he reaches to pull something from his jacket and my hand falls to one of the knives on my belt. Before I unsheathe it, though, he pulls out a tightly bound scroll that he unrolls and holds out to me.

"All you need to do is sign this and you will have your assurance," he says as I stare down at small spidery handwriting. "You dispose of a few ninja and I will show you where your father is. Simple as that."

He gestures to one of the people behind him and they move forward, holding what looks like a quill pen. He takes it and offers it to me. "All this can be over with, princess. No more running and hiding, no more looking over your shoulder for vengeful people. Just a happy life back with your father. All you have to do is sign."

I close my eyes and try to slow my pounding heart. It's been four years since I've seen my father, though I've never forgotten a detail of his face. I remember his laugh and his voice whispering loving words to me. I'd do anything to have him back, but killing people…

"Whose life matters more to you, princess?" the man says as if he heard what I was thinking. "Your father or a few strangers? If you don't do this for me… they're both dead."

My eyes fly open. "What?"

"You heard me," dark grey eyes glisten from beneath the hood. "I'm giving you the choice. One or the other. If you refuse… well, I'll just have to find someone else to do the dirty work and Daddy will disappear forever."

I snatch the pen from his hand without a second's thought, scrawling my name on the scroll in crooked handwriting before meeting his eyes, a dark determination starting to spread through my chest.

The smile flashes again. "I knew you'd agree," he smirks. "Now Ir-"

"My name is Ash," I say before he can finish. "Not… that."

The smile flickers a little, but returns. "Alright then, Ash," he says the name almost like it's a bitter taste in his mouth. "You can call me Fang. I'll be the one keeping an eye on you from now on, just to make sure you don't… break contract. Which I'm sure you won't, but then again you have been known to… lose control."

A hot flash of anger bolts through my body, but I take a deep breath and force it back down.

"Just tell me where the ninja are."


	2. Rescue

"Where are they?" I look up at the web of branches above me, but I don't see any sign of the airship Fang, the man who'd given me my mission, told me about. I sigh and lean up against a tree. The necklace around my neck feels cold against my palm as I clasp my hand around it, and when I close my eyes I can see the distant but strong memory of my father's face. I clench my hands and straighten up. I can't give up yet, not after all I've gone through, and Fang has nothing to gain from lying to me, so the ship has to be around here somewhere…

The ground beneath me rumbles as the air is split by the sound of an explosion. I fall onto my knees but push myself back onto my feet in seconds, looking for some sign of where the noise came from. There are birds wheeling through the sky, screeching a warning, and not too far away there's a dark plume of smoke. If I remember right, there's a town in that area, but what could have happened?

Someone cries out somewhere near me, and I duck behind a tree, pulling out my knives as I do. I quiet my breathing and listen for whoever's coming my way. There are a few more shouts and a shape is thrown into my view. Whoever it is followed by three goons sporting the colors of a local crime ring I've seen in the forest a few times, and my eyes fall to the bats in their hands. The guy on the ground is dressed in black clothes that match his dark hair, and as I watch he struggles to get up, but just falls back to the earth. The three gang members snicker to themselves as they circle around him, and I can't tell if he's even conscious anymore. One of them raises their bat, and I can't stay quiet anymore. The ninja ship can wait until I've helped this guy.

I step out from behind my tree, throwing a knife at the thug getting ready to attack in the same motion. The blade stabs into the wood of the bat, knocking it out of the guy's hand and sending it into a nearby bush. They gasp and turn to face me. They look a little scared at first, but once they get a look at me, they get the same smirk on their faces.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" the lead thug, the one I just disarmed, grins. "A girl who wants to play hero? Why don't you turn around and walk away before you get involved?"

"Why don't you back away before I have to hurt you?" I pull another knife from my belt and raise it towards them.

The three look at my knife, then at each other, and burst out laughing.

"Who do you think you are, girly?" the leader smirks. "You're no soldier."

"Maybe not, but I am a better fighter than you'll ever be," I throw my knife fast and it lodges itself in the sweater of one thug and keeps going, latching onto the next thug before thudding into the tree behind them.

"You're playing with fire, girly," the leader picks up one of the dropped bats and holds it ready.

"Believe me when I say I have plenty of experience with fire," I throw another knife, but he dodges it and takes a swing at my head. I block it with the padded leather on my left arm and slice into his clothes, tearing open a wide whole in the front of his shirt.

"Lucky shot," he growls, giving me a dark glare. His friends finally detach themselves from the tree, and one of them throws my knife wildly. I deflect it easily with the heavier blade in my hand before I throw another three knives. Their heavy hilts slam heavily into the thugs, knocking them to the ground. I walk closer until I'm standing above him, my last two knives already unsheathed.

"Leave now and I'll let you go free," I say without lowering my arms. "I won't follow you and I'll pretend like this didn't happen. All you have to do is throw down your weapons and walk away."

"Who are you?" the leader asks.

"You can call me Ash," I take a few steps back. "Now go before I change my mind."

The three of them scramble to their feet, muttering curses and other assorted words under their breath before they scurry off into the woods. I pick up the knives I've dropped, and then I turn to the body still lying in the dirt.

I kneel down next to the guy and carefully push him over onto his back. He moans softly, but doesn't wake up. He's young, maybe just a little older than me, and surprisingly fit. His hair falls into his eyes, and I can't remember ever seeing him before. He doesn't look like anyone from around here, and if the thugs were attacking him, then he's obviously not a friend of theirs.

"Who are you?" I ask him, and I'm answered by another few shouts coming from town. I sigh. "I guess there's only one way to find out."


	3. Not So Bad After All

I drag the still unconscious guy out of the tree line and into sunlight. It feels strange to be out the in open after so many years of hiding, and when I look up I see a cluster of medium-sized buildings and a thin street leading in. The smoke I saw earlier is piling up from a building near the center of town, and a shiver rushes up my spine as bad memories resurface. I shake them off and pull the guy I rescued further along; hoping someone he knows will show up soon.

As if on cue, someone yells from behind me. "Look, there he is!"

I turn around to see someone wearing blue near the edge of a building, waving frantically at two other people behind him. I drop the person I'm carrying and turn towards them as they start rushing towards me. My hands drop to my belt cautiously, but something tells me I can trust these guys.

"Cole!" the guy wearing red yells, sounding out of breath. "Cole, are you alright?"

I step back as they swarm around their unconscious friend, Cole, I guess. While the red and blue-clothed guys try to revive him, the one wearing white turns to me.

"Did you save our friend?" he asks, white hair stirring in the wind.

"You could say that," I answer, a little put off by his friendly tone. "The guys who attacked him ran off, but I don't think they'll be coming back soon."

He smiles. "That's good. Those men were trying to steal pyrotechnics from a local factory, and things got a little out of hand when we tried to stop him. Cole here was chased off, and we were worried something bad had happened to him," he explains. His voice is soft, soothing, and just a little reminiscent of my father's.

"I think he's coming to!" Blue excitedly as the guy I'd carried starts to stir and wake up.

"You okay, buddy?" Red asks.

"Ugh, I feel like I got smacked by a ton of bricks," the guy answers, clutching his head. "What happened?"

"You were attacked by a group of the thieves and they knocked you unconscious," White explains. "Luckily someone saved you before you were seriously injured."

"It's no big deal, really."

"No big deal?" Red laughs. "You saved Cole's life, maybe! I'd say that was a big deal."

"Kai's right," Blue agrees. "We owe you one for saving our friend, umm…"

"The name's Ash," I say, "and if you're really offering me a favor, I'm looking for the ninjas that fly around in a fancy airship."

"Why are you looking for them?" White asks.

"I'm looking for someone close to me," I answer, and it isn't a complete lie. "My father. I thought maybe they might be able to help me find them."

"Well if you're looking for the ninja, your search is over," Red, Kai, grins. "Because you're looking at 'em."

My blood freezes as Kai, White, and Blue pull on hoods that I recognize as the masks of ninja. This isn't possible. Fang never said that the ninja were so young or so… so… nice.

"Surprised?" Blue smiles behind his mask.

"You could say that," I manage to choke out, trying to hide my surprise. I can't do this. Forget everything that Fang said, I can't kill four guys who are so friendly. I may not have had much human contact in my past, but I know good people when I meet them, and these guys are great people. Fang or no Fang, I can find my father myself.

"If you want help looking for your father, I'm sure Sensei Wu will have the answers you seek," White interrupts my thoughts. "We can take you to him."

"That'd be great, thanks," I force a smile. After I talk to this Sensei Wu, I'm going to find Fang and tell him the deal is off. No matter what people say, I'm not heartless.


	4. Welcome

_Hello and thanks for reading! At this point in the story, I feel I have to give a little warning that my timeline is particularly screwed up. I haven't been able to really work out when exactly all of this place, but all you need to know is the ninjas have the Bounty, Lloyd has not joined the team (yet), Garmadon is still in the underworld, and the Serpentine haven't been awoken. The ninjas know about the existence of the Green Ninja, and Zane knows he's a robot, though no one knows the Samurai's true identity. It might get confusing later, but please bear with this poor writer and her pretty independent timeline. :)_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

"Sensei Wu, we're back!" Kai yells somewhere into the ship. The airship is bigger than I imagined originally and a lot more high-tech.

"There you are," a gentle voice says as an old man carrying a teapot walks up from inside the ship. "How did it go? Did you stop the thieves?"

"We got most of them, but Ash here took care of the ones that attacked Cole," Blue, who said his name was Jay, explains. "It was pretty great."

"Oh, really?" the old man, who I guess is Sensei Wu, steps closer to me, "Hm. You seem a bit familiar. Where are you from, Ash?"

"Well, I grew up in a village at the center of the forest, but after… things happened I was separated my father. I lived with my grandparents for a while, but since they passed I've been searching for him," I feel bad for lying, but I can't let them know the truth.

"I see," Sensei Wu pours himself a cup of tea with one hand. "If it's your father you seek, I can try to help you, though I don't know how much help I can be."

"My father's name is Desmond, Desmond Villin," I say. "He used to tell me stories about how he helped people and adventured all over Ninjago."

"The name sounds familiar, but a face escapes me," Sensei Wu takes a sip of tea.

"Is he the one who taught you how to fight?" Cole asks.

"You saw me?"

"Only for a few seconds before I blacked out, but yeah," he answers. "It was amazing, by the way."

I choke down the redness flushing into my cheeks. I'm not used to people being nice to me, much less giving me compliments. "He did teach me, actually," I cough to cover up my embarrassment. "He even talked about starting up his own little dojo to teach other kids."

"Well if he's anywhere in Ninjago, we'll find him," Kai puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder, and I fight the reflex to shrug him off.

"I will meditate on this, but in the meantime the four of you need to get back to your training," Sensei Wu casts a wise glance over the ninja. "We can't rely on others to save us all the time, or else we will never be able to stop the darkness rising."

"But what about Ash?" Kai asks. "I mean, if you've been looking for your father for a long time, where have you been staying?"

"I've been sleeping in different places around the woods," I answer. "But it's no big deal- I'm used to it. I'll come back tomorrow-"

"You can stay with us," Zane, formerly known as White, interrupts me. "I mean, if that's alright with Sensei."

"Yeah, we have a few extra rooms," Jay agrees.

"And I'm sure Nya would be happy to have another girl around," Kai adds. The four ninja start chattering around me until Sensei Wu finally raises a hand to stop them.

"If Ash would like to stay here, she may, but remember that this is no motel. If you stay I expect you'll also help around the ship and you may also train if you'd like. There is much we can learn from each other's fighting styles that will make both of you that much stronger."

"Thank you, Sensei Wu," I force a smile, though all I can see is Fang's face in the back of my mind. "Thank you."


	5. Backed Into a Corner

"I can't do this," I yell into the dark woods. The forest looks empty around me, but the map Fang gave me tells me that I'm in the right spot. I'm sure Fang and his crew are hiding in the shadows, waiting to spring.

"Getting cold feet already?" a voice hisses from nowhere. I recognize it immediately as Fang's. "This is unlike you, Miss Ash."

"You don't know anything about me," I fight to control my temper. "I won't hurt them. The deal's off."

"Are you taking back your word?" Fang sounds only slightly surprised. "But don't you want to know where your father is? I did give you his necklace after all."

"I do want to know where he is, but not like this," I clench my hands tightly at my sides. "They're-they're nice to me, nicer than anyone I've ever met, and even though that might not be a lot of people, I see them as my friends and I won't hurt them."

"My, my, it seems our frightful little demon of the forest has gone soft," Fang chuckles, sending a chill rushing down my spine. "Even after all the stories I've heard of your monstrous capabilities. But I'm afraid crossing us isn't an option. You're bound by blood, no turning back."

"What?"

Fang appears from nowhere in front of me, and holds out a tightly wound scroll I recognize as the contract I'd signed earlier, when I first took on the job.

"No," I can feel my anger rising. "That contract was so I'd know that you would give me the information about my father. I only signed it to make sure you wouldn't change the terms-"

"They always say you should read between the lines," Fang laughs. "This contract says that you will kill the ninja in exchange for your father's whereabouts. If you refuse, your father is as good as dead."

"Why not kill them yourself?" I demand, feeling hot tears piling in my eyes. "Why use me like this?"

"I would kill the ninja myself, but they'd catch me in seconds. A girl as doe-eyed and naïve as you would have no problem slipping through their defenses before stabbing them in the back, literally," he smirks and hides the scroll back in his coat.

My heart's pulsing loudly in my ears. "You tricked me," I choke out in a barely audible voice. "You knew I wouldn't be able to go through with this, so you tricked me into signing that stupid contract."

"Angry, my dear?" Fang moves closer and grabs me by the shoulders, stooping a little to talk into my ear. I try to shove him away, but his grip's too tight. "Go ahead, let it out. Let me see the raw, uncontrollable power I've heard so much about. You know I know your secret. Run away now and I will tell everyone what you've done. Where will you go when your precious little friends turn against you?"

I scream and pull a dagger from my belt, but before I can bury it into Fang, he disappears into the forest, and all I can hear is his laughter.

"Go and complete your mission, Miss Ash, or you'll have worse than me against you. Oh, and don't even try to tell the ninja what you've gotten yourself into. I'll know if you do, and faster than you can say 'sorry' your father will die and everyone will know the true you."

I collapse onto the ground as Fang's voice fades, and sob for the first time in a long time. "I'm sorry, Dad," I cough, stabbing my knife into the ground. "I'm so, so sorry."

I don't want Fang to win, but I have no choice. To save my father, and myself, I have to do it.

I have to kill the ninja.


	6. Getting Too Close

I jerk up in bed when I wake up the next morning, my eyes filled with the pictures and sounds of people screaming and running in terror. My skin prickles from blistering heat, and all I can think of is that I have to find my father. He can help these people, and me.

"Whoa, Ash, you alright?"

I blink, shaking off the phantoms of my past and look up to see Kai standing at the door of my borrowed room. My sheets are messily twisted around my legs, and I'm sure I look less than presentable.

"Bad dream?" he asks, looking awkward behind the door.

"I'm fine," I say as I drag an arm across my face. "It's not anything new."

"Oh, alright. Well, there's breakfast if you want anything," Kai gives me a small, awkward smile before he ducks out the door and away.

I sigh and lie back in bed. "Why is all of this happening?" I ask the boards above me. "Why to me?" As expected, they don't answer.

I pull myself out from under the sheets and stand up. I catch my reflection in the mirror and groan. No wonder Kai looked so put off. My hair is a complete tangled mess, my skin shines with a layer of sweat from nightmares, and the tee and shorts I usually wear to bed are super rumpled. In short, I'm a complete wreck, inside and out.

After I change into my usual outfit (I retrieved my bag of stuff during my eventful trip into the forest) I emerge into the pink sunlight outside and turn to the side of the ship Jay pointed out to me last night as the dining room. I walk towards the door a little off-balance as the ship moves under my feet, but I make it through alive.

"Good morning, sunshine," someone greets me as soon as I enter the room. I look up to see a girl with short black hair smiling back at me. "I'm Nya, Kai's sister. It's nice to finally meet you."

"Same here," I manage to smile, though I'm still shaken by my talk with Fang from last night. "I'm Ash."

"Hey, Ash!" Jay waves to me from the table. "It's Zane's turn to cook, so I hope you're hungry for something amazing!"

"I'm starving," I admit as I sit down next to Cole, opposite Jem. I missed dinner last night to meet with Fang, and just thinking about food makes my stomach roar.

Zane's breakfast… is the best thing I've eaten in a very long time. Taking a bite of a fluffy omelet takes me back four years to the times when my own father made me delicious food before a day of training, and I can't stop the huge smile creeping on my face.

"Enjoying the food?" Kai asks, and all I can do is nod. "Zane's a great chef, whether he'll admit it or not." Zane shrugs indifferently, but I can see the small proud smile on his face when he turns away.

"So what do you eat out in the forest? I can't imagine anything out there tastes that great," Kai asks, earning a sharp elbow from Nya.

"You're right, there isn't much," I answer with a laugh. "But I set up a garden outside the hut I usually stay in, and after a little experimentation I've actually figured out a few good recipes."

"Like what?" Jay asks with his mouth full of pancakes.

"Well, as weird as it sounds I have a tasty fish and wild onion soup recipe," I muse, taking another bite of my omelet.

"Maybe you could teach it to me sometime," Zane says. "I could always use the extra practice."

"That's sounds like fun," I agree, even as I feel my heart sink a little. As much fun as I'm having, in the back of my head all I can hear is Fang laughing.

After breakfast we move out onto the deck of the ship where there's a ton of training equipment set up.

"Hey, Ash," Kai says from next to me. "How about you show us some of the moves Cole's been telling us about?"

"If you'd like," I shrug, reaching for my belt. "Though I don't really see how it'll help you guys."

"My shurikens aren't very different from your knives," Zane pipes in, "and if anything we will learn a little more about precision."

"Besides," Cole adds. "Any skill that'll help us fight better is worth watching."

"Alright," I laugh, shrugging them off. "Just tell me where to throw."

"There are targets on the other end of the ship," Kai points to small circles of wood directly in front of us. "Show us what you got."

I close my eyes for a second and get a feel for the ship's movement and direction before I open them again and focus on the targets ahead. Looking at the center of the circle, I imagine Fang's hooded face and my anger burns up again. With one motion I pull a knife from my belt and send it flying towards the target. It lands directly in the center with a satisfying thud, and I can't help but smile. There's silence behind me, and I know I've stunned my audience.

"Wow," Cole finally says as Jay lets out a whistle. "How long did it take you to learn to do that?"

"A few months to get the basics down, and then a few more months of practice before I was actually hitting the target," I admit. "But I had a pretty amazing teacher."

"Don't worry about your dad, Ash," Kai puts a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "If anyone can find him, Sensei Wu can. He knows everything about everyone."

I barely keep myself from visibly flinching. "I'm sure," I say, but all I'm thinking about are the screams from my past, the dark intense heat from my dreams, and the ever present Fang.

_Time's running out, Ash. For you, and your father._


	7. A Friend?

"See anything you like?"

I lift my head to Nya, who's looking at me expectantly. It's been a few days since I was taken in by the ninja, and after seeing me in the same outfit every day, Nya insisted on bringing me shopping in Ninjago City. The boys are a ways down the street, looking at different video games, and a little part of me wants to go with them.

"I don't know," I answer, staring at the mannequin in front of me. "I've never actually worn… a dress or anything really… colorful."

"Then why don't you try some things on?" she starts to push me further towards the racks. "I promise it won't hurt."

I smile a little despite myself. "If you say so."

A pile of assorted clothes and convincing words later, I'm standing in front of the mirror in the dressing room, staring at my reflection. The dark red of the fabric brings out my reddish eyes, and makes my hair look even darker, but the thin-sleeved, short dress shows a lot more skin than I'm used to. My exposed legs look a lot longer than they usually do, and my arms seem more muscular.

"Almost ready?" Nya asks from the outside.

"Yes?" I twirl my hair around my finger, still watching myself in the mirror.

"Then let me see."

I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and step out of the dressing room. I open my eyes slowly and look at Nya, who's smiling warmly.

"And here you are telling me that you've never worn a dress before," she laughs, walking closer to me.

"I haven't, I mean, how are you supposed to fight in a dress?" I ask as she circles me.

"You're starting to sound like my brother," she smiles. "Not everything's about fighting, I mean, what are you going to do if some guy asks you out on a date?"

"That's another thing I haven't done," I mutter to myself, but she catches it.

"You've never been on a date?" she sounds a shocked.

"I've lived in the woods for a few years, not many good guys wander in," I answer.

"Let me be the first to tell you, Ash, that if you wear stuff like this a little more often, you'll have guys lining up to say hi to you," Nya gives me a wink and another smile.

"You really believe that?" I laugh, trying to imagine myself as the person Nya's talking about.

"I know so."

"Nya, Ash, there's someone-"

We turn around to see Kai standing in the doorway, stunned. I can tell he's looking at me, and I'm forced to turn away to hide my blush.

"Told you so," Nya laughs too quietly for Kai to hear, making my face even more red. "What do you need, Kai?"

Kai looks away from us and runs a hand through his hair. "Oh, um, there's, um, someone who says they, um, might know you, Ash. I think they could maybe help us find your dad," he says, not even glancing in my direction.

"Who?" I ask. Trying to think of someone, anyone in Ninjago City who might know who I am. "Did they say their name?"

"He says his name's Hale," Kai explains. "He's with the others right now, but he says he grew up in the same town as you."

My heart stops. "He what?" I ask in a barely decipherable whisper.

"If he really grew up in the same place as you, he might know where your dad went," Nya says excitedly next to me.

"Well what are we waiting around here for?" Nya starts pushing me back towards the dressing room. "Quick change back and we'll go out and meet him! This is great, isn't it?"

"Yeah," I force a smile. "It is." If whoever this Hale guy is really did grow up where I did, then he knows what happened, what I…


	8. Regret

"Ash, Nya, there you are!" Cole greets us as we approach him. "Meet Hale."

They open up their circle and a guy with silver-blonde hair steps toward me. I don't recognize him from where I grew up, but that doesn't mean he doesn't know me. I struggle to keep my calm composure.

"Hello, Ash," Hale holds his hand out to me. "It's nice to see you again."

He looks so calm, and his expression is completely unreadable. I can't tell what he's thinking, and that terrifies me more than anything else.

"Yeah, um, it's nice to see you too," I raise my hand for him to take, but instead of shaking it he leans down and kisses the top of my hand.

"It's been a long time, hasn't it?" he gives me a grin under his long eyelashes, and I choke down a blush as I pull my hand away.

"I guess so," I stammer.

"You don't remember me, do you?" he raises an eyebrow, and all I can do is shake my head. He laughs. "It's me, Ash. Hale? Your dad used to help me with my archery, remember?"

I think for a few more seconds, back to when kids would come to our house, seeking my father's instruction. I do remember an archer, but he was a scrawny, short little kid. Nothing like the tall, muscular, and angel-like guy standing before me.

"You look a lot different," I say, making him laugh again.

"So do you," his eyes drift down my body, then back, making me blush a little more. "In the good way, of course. How long has it been since the accident? Four years? I didn't get back from my uncle's house until a week after it happened."

"You weren't there?"

"No," he answers, "and no one would tell me what happened either. All they said was that something got out of control and a lot of people left, including you."

I bite back a sigh of relief. "I had to," I say. "After the accident, I was separated from my father. I've been trying to find him ever since, so if you know anything…"

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea where he went," Hale shrugs. "But if there's any place to look, it's here."

"Hale's right," Cole agrees. "Ninjago City is filled with people. Someone around has to know something about your dad."

"Yeah," I say, unable to keep the disappointment out of my voice. "Someone."

"Don't worry so hard about it, Ash," Hale gives me a small smile. "You'll find him, and hey, if you come back into the city, I'm renting an apartment just around the corner if you want to stop by sometime. You know, to reminisce a little about old times?"

"Uh, sure," I blush, not sure how to respond. "Sounds like fun."

"Well, if you ever want to come train with us a little, Hale, we'll be just outside the city for a while," Jay says. "There's so little evil plotting these days that there's not much we're doing if you want to visit."

"Maybe I will swing by sometime with my bow," Hale grins. "I've gotten a lot better since I left home; all thanks to what Ash's dad taught me."

Hale looks down at a silver watch on his wrist and frowns a little. "Looks like I gotta run, but I'll see you soon enough," Hale looks at me one more time. "Feel free to come over anytime you want, Ash."

He gives me a wink before rushing off down the street, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"That was interesting," Zane says.

"Too bad he didn't know anything about your dad though," Kai gives me an apologetic look.

"It's fine," I assure him. "I'd be surprised if he did."

"But it's still cool that we actually found someone from where you live," Jay smiles. "That's something, isn't it?"

"I guess," I shrug.

"If you don't mind my asking, Ash, what is this accident you and Hale keep bringing up?" Zane asks.

I sigh. "To make a long story short, there was a massive fire that destroyed most of our town."

"Is that what your nightmares are about?" Kai asks, earning a punch from Nya.

"Yeah," I admit. "It's just… really complicated. A ton of people left after it happened, my dad, Hale, and me."

"Look on the bright side, Ash," Cole puts an arm around my shoulders nonchalantly. "If you hadn't left, we would never have met."

"You're right," I agree half-heartedly. But if it weren't for the accident, I would never have lost my father, and I would never have met Fang.

Everyone would be safe if it weren't for me.


	9. Nightmares and Challenges

The air is sweltering and almost suffocating. I need to run away, but I'm glued to my spot. There are people running all around me, screaming in pain and terror while I just stand here. I open my mouth to yell for someone to help me, but the air chokes the words from my throat. Someone's screaming my name from behind me, and when I turn I see my father, standing in a pillar of flame.

"Daddy," I cough, reaching out for him. "Help."

He holds his hand out to me, and I strain to reach it. Our fingertips brush against each other, but before I can get a grasp, a wall of flames erupts between us, shoving us apart.

"Dad!" I yell, searching for some sign of him in the blaze. "Dad, where are you?"

I'm surrounded by fire and there's no one to help me. All I can do is scream as the flames start to close in on me.

"Ash? Ash!"

My eyes fly open and I blink a few times, gasping heavily. When my vision clears I realize I'm in my bed, and Cole is leaning over me. I'm trembling, still immersed in my nightmare.

"I can't breathe," I cough. "I can't-"

"Ash, you're alright, you're here with us," Cole puts his hands on my shoulders and shakes me a little. "You're safe."

I look up into Cole's dark eyes, and without even thinking about it I throw my arms around him. He's caught off guard, but recovers and holds me against him, calming me down.

"I'm sorry," I apologize as my breathing starts to slow. "The dream isn't usually that bad."

"It's okay, we're here for you," Cole says reassuringly into my ear.

I pull away from him and lie back against my crooked pillows. "Where are the others?" I ask breathlessly.

"Zane's meditating and Kai and Jay are busy trying out a new training machine. I heard your screams and I came as fast as I could," he explains. "You should tell Sensei Wu about your dreams. I'm sure he'll be able to help you."

"I'm fine, really," I smile and sit back up, my face inches away from his. "It's no big deal."

He gives me a look like he doesn't believe me. "I don't know about you, but I qualify reoccurring nightmares as a big deal," he says, grabbing hold of my arm, which I didn't realize was still shaking.

"I know, but I…" I trail off, not even knowing what I was going to say. I lock eyes with Cole again. His look so much like my father's, but different at the same time. Cole's are calm and depthless, while my dad's were wild and always planning something. My body stops trembling as I let out a breath and relax against his touch.

"You're right," I finally admit. "Maybe I do need help."

The door opens suddenly, making Cole and I jump apart.

"Am I… interrupting something?" Hale raises an eyebrow, his eyes flickering between Cole, then me, then back again.

"No, I was just- I had a nightmare," I wipe my eyes with one hand hide my blush. "Cole was just making sure I'm alright."

"I see," Hale strides confidently into the room. "So what was your dream about, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I think Ash should be left alone right now, I mean, she just calmed down," Cole says as he stands up.

"No, Cole, it's okay," I say. "I just keep having nightmares about the accident, but I'm okay."

"I'm sure you are," Hale walks past Cole and takes his spot on my bed. "You always were strong."

He tucks a thick strand of my hair behind my ear, and I can't hide my embarrassment. "Would a little training get your mind off things? I know it always helps me if I'm having problems," he says in a gentle voice, his gray eyes soft.

"Probably," I smile, turning my face away as he gets up. "I need to get dressed, so I'll meet you guys on deck."

"Are you sure-"

"I'll be fine, Cole," I give him a warm smile. "Thanks, though."

He gives me a look like he's still not convinced, but leaves.

"He's a real knight in shining armor, isn't he?" Hale comments as soon as he's out the door.

"He's nice," I say, picking at the corner of my blanket.

"That's what they all say," he mutters to himself.

"What?"

"Nothing," Hale smiles and ruffles my hair a little. "Get ready and then we can show each other the progress we've made since we last saw each other."

I smile back as Hale ducks out of the room and leaves me alone with my thoughts.

The nightmares have been getting worse lately, and I wonder if it's because of what's been happening.

I pull myself out of the bed and walk over to the small window. I've never really been good with heights, and glancing down I feel a bit of uneasiness in my stomach. I reach to pick my belt up from the table, and freeze when I notice there's a familiar tightly-wound scroll sitting on top of it.

My heart pounding, I pick it up and slowly unravel it.

_Good morning, my little spark. I hope this message finds you in good health. I see you've gotten very familiar with your targets, and I'm interested in seeing how you deal with them. Remember, I'm watching you and I'll know immediately if you try to ask for help. You only have two options here, Miss Ash- kill the ninja, or kill your father. _

_ There are many more things I'd like to say to you in person. Meet me at noon in the forest, and be sure you're not followed. If you are, things will get a lot worse for you and your father._

_ Fang_

I drop the scroll where it coils back on the ground. I pull my arms around me to stop my shaking, but I can't. How did Fang get a scroll in my room? I would've heard the door opening, even in my sleep, but there's no way he could've come through the window when we're floating above the earth.

"Looks like I'm in deeper than I thought."

* * *

_ "Is Ash okay?"_

_"Yeah," Cole answers, balancing his scythe in his hand. "It's those nightmares. I told her she should talk to Sensei Wu, to see if he could help her, I don't know, find balance with her past or something."_

_ "I'm guessing she said no?" Jay asks, and Cole nods. "She hasn't been here long, but she's pretty stubborn."_

_ "And pretty cute."_

_ Everyone turns and stares at Kai, who lifts up his mask. "Come on, I'm not the only one who thought so! You guys didn't see her in the dress she tried on yesterday- she's amazing." _

_ "She's mine."_

_ The ninja look up to see Hale approaching, holding a longbow in his hand that's almost as tall as he is. He walks straight towards Cole, not taking his eyes off him for a second._

_ "You like her, don't you, ninja?" he grins. _

_ "D-don't be ridiculous," Cole says back. "She's a friend. To all of us."_

_ "So you say," Hale laughs. "Then I guess you won't mind if I ask her out tonight?"_

_ "Not at all," Cole clears his throat. "I don't care."_

_ Hale laughs louder and ruffles Cole's hair playfully. "You've really put me in a good mood today, ninja," he chuckles. "What do you say to a friendly challenge? Whichever one of us can successfully win over Ash's fiery little heart first wins her for good."_

_ "And the loser?"_

_ "Well, he walks away from her forever," Hale shrugs. "What do you say, ninja?"  
"Don't be stupid," Cole shoves his hand away, but Hale just shrugs and laughs again._

_ "You don't have to accept my challenge now, of course. I'll give you some time to think about it," Hale chuckles as he pulls an arrow from his quiver. "But I warn you, Cole, that I am as good with girls as I am with my bow." Hale nocks the arrow to the string, draws, and sends it flying towards a target within two seconds, where it lands in the direct center and actually pokes through to the other side. Jay whistles appreciatively._

_ "Cole, you don't really like Ash like that, do you?" Kai asks in a nervous whisper. "You're not going to take the challenge?"_

_ "Of course not," Cole scoffs, but his eyes drift over to where Ash is finally emerging in to the sunlight. "Of course not."_


	10. No Escape

"There you are my little assassin."

My gaze moves up to where Fang is lying casually in a tree, and I walk a little closer to him.

"I'm here," I say roughly. Just looking at him makes me so angry, I wonder how fast he can catch a flying knife. "What do you want?"

"No hello?" he toys with the edge of his sleeve, and his arch tone just irritates me more. "I just want a friendly chat. Is that too much to ask?"  
"You didn't call me here in the middle of the day to make small talk," my hand twitches towards my belt. "So I'll ask again. What do you want?"

"Such a temper," Fang clicks his tongue before he leaps out of the tree, landing only a few inches away from me. "You should be more careful with that. We don't want history to repeat itself, do we?"

"Just tell me what you want so I can go," I look away from him.

"Of course," Fang nods beneath his hood. "I wouldn't want to keep you from your job, would I?"

When I don't answer, Fang stalks closer.

"Don't forget why you're there, Ash," he circles behind me. "Your job is to kill the ninja, and you're taking much too long.

"I told you already, I can't-"

Fang cuts me off as he shoves me against the tree painfully. He turns me toward him with one hand and pins me there with his body, one arm on either side of my head.

"You can and you will," he growls angrily. "You follow my orders, and I didn't order you to make friends. I realize now I've given you too much freedom, too much will. If those ninja aren't dead by the end of this week, your father is dead and your cute little reputation with be nothing but dust. Once your precious reputation is destroyed I will make you kill them. I wanted to make this easy for you to do- maybe a vial of poison or a trap- but if you continue to cross me I'll force you to kill them with your own hands."

"You can't do that," I say, though my voice wavers. "I'll never let you."

"Can I?" Fang puts a hand against my face and I'm filled with a sudden intense pain that makes me scream.

"I can control you like this," I hear Fang voice magnified in my head like an echo. "Stay on the path you're walking and I'll make sure that the last thing your friends see is you coming towards them and your knife in their hearts. You have until the end of the week to kill them yourself. After that you have no choice."

Fang disappears from me, and I collapse on the ground, muscles aching from what he's done to me. I've never heard of anyone who could control someone just by touching them. I push myself onto my hands and knees, then slowly get to my feet. Sensei Wu, Nya, Zane, Jay, Kai, Cole- they're all in danger from me, but I can't do anything to stop it.

One tear, then another falls to the earth, and in a few seconds I'm sobbing for the first time in years. For my father, for myself, and for my friends I'm supposed to kill.

How am I supposed to fix this?


	11. Romance

_Thanks everyone for your continued support of this slightly insane idea, and I hope you're enjoying this so far! This is turning out to be a lot longer than I originally planned, but I'm pretty glad it is. Feel free to tell me if there's anything that can be fixed or done better, and maybe any ideas you might have for the story itself :). Oh, and if you want to see a picture of the bracelet (you'll understand once you read) just google "dragon bracelet" and it's the middle picture of the first row :)_

_Thanks for reading!_

_- Fell_and_Fallen -_

* * *

I'm staring at my reflection in the mirror, red eyes even redder from lack of sleep. My hair's a tangled halo around me, and even though it's still morning my skin is already glistening with sweat like I've just finished a night of training.

I splash water in my face and take in a deep breath. This business with Fang is taking a severe toll on me. My nightmares are getting worse, I'm hardly getting any sleep, and I'm barely holding onto my sanity.

"What else can possibly go wrong?" I ask my reflection.

The door to the bathroom bangs open, and I jump, nearly smashing my face into the mirror.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Zane says apologetically in the doorway. "I didn't mean to startle you."

"No, you're fine," I catch my breath. "I was just distracted."

"Are you alright, Ash?" Zane asks as he takes a few steps towards me. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"I'm okay," I push my hair back from my face. "I'm just stressed."

"Would you like to talk about it?" he asks. "Sensei Wu has told us many times that sometimes explaining our troubles to another person is the best way to deal with the problem."

"Thanks for the offer, Zane, but this isn't something that can be solved by talking," I sigh. "As much as I want to tell you, I just can't."

"Is it about what's been going on between Hale and Cole?"

"Hale and Cole?" I look up. "What do you mean?"

"You don't know?" Zane sounds surprised when I shake my head. "It seems that the two of them are fighting for your hand in dating."

"They're what?" I gasp a little loudly.

"It seems that the two of them are-"

"I know that part," I lean up against the sink to keep from passing out. "But why?"

"Hale initiated the challenge after Cole woke you up two days ago," Zane explains.

"So that's why Hale asked me to the amusement park then," I mutter to myself. I said no, of course. I was too shaken up after my talk with Fang to go anywhere except my bed.

"Is that what you're upset about?"

"Not exactly, but it is something to worry about," I look up into the mirror again. "Fang was right. I am getting too attached."

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing," I quickly straighten up and start to walk out the door. "I'll see you later for training."

I turn into the hallway and slam into what feels like a brick wall.

"Oh, Ash! Are you okay?"

I look up into Cole's dark eyes and let out a breath. "I'm fine. I'm just a little off," I say. "Did you need something?"

"No, I mean, yes, well," he runs a nervous hand through his hair. "I never really thanked you for saving me from those thugs, did I?"

"That's alright," I shrug. "It's in the past."

"I really do owe you though, so I got you this," he holds out a bracelet shaped like a golden dragon. "As thanks."

"Cole," I sigh. "I know you're being nice, but you didn't have to, I mean-"

"Ash, you saved my life," He takes my hand and slips on the bracelet, where it fits snugly on my wrist. "It's the least I can do."

"Cole, I- it's… it's really pretty," I admit, my face turning pinker than I'd like it to.

"It reminded me a lot of you," his face is turning adorably red too. "Ash, I was wondering if you would, I don't know, like to go somewhere with me sometime?"

"Cole, you're really nice, but there's a lot I'm dealing with right now," I look away from him. "I just… can't."

"No, it's alright," he laughs; though I get the feeling I've really let him down. "I didn't really think you'd say yes anyway."

"Cole-"

"Really, Ash," he gives me a smile that just breaks my heart. "It's okay. I have to go, so I'll see you later, okay?"

He rushes off before I can say anything else, and I'm left standing there like an idiot. I look down at the bracelet glistening on my wrist, and I have to force back tears.

"I'm so sorry, Cole," I mutter to myself. "I wish I could make you understand."

* * *

_"It's over."_

_"What?" Kai looks up at the sound of the door slamming shut and sees Cole standing solemnly. "What's over?"  
"This thing with Ash. It's done, I give up," he over toward his bed._

_"You're what?" Kai drops the magazine he was reading and follows him. "You can't give up! If you give up that means Hale-"_

_"I know, but it's hopeless," his eyes are full of desperation as he stares at Kai through his dark hair. "I never had a chance anyways, and besides, she's already been with Hale."_

_"Who told you that?" Kai asks._

_"Hale did. Apparently they went to MegaMonster Amusement Park yesterday," Cole collapses on his mattress. "That's why she was gone for so long."_

_"But Cole," Kai struggles to keep the irritation out of his voice. "You said yourself that you felt a connection with her."_

_"She had a nightmare," Cole's jaw sets and Kai can tell he's really bothering him, but doesn't care. "She needed someone to comfort her, and I just happened to be the one who showed up. It meant nothing."_

_"Oh really? Then why were you smiling like a fool when you came back up on deck?"_

_"She was probably just looking for a friend," Cole turns his back on Kai, but he doesn't give up._

_"Seriously, Cole? You're just going to let her go like that? A girl who's made you smile days at a time, who's nice and sweet and just might be the most perfect girl in the entire world, a girl who makes you feel special in every way-"_

_"What's your point?" Cole whirls around and nearly smacks Kai in the face. "Do you really care about me, or do you still have feelings for her yourself?"_

_Words catch in Kai's throat as a weird tingling sensation broils in the pit of his stomach, something he hasn't felt in a few days now. He forces it down and takes a deep breath. "I told you already Cole, I liked Ash, but I know there's something special between you and her, and I don't want you to throw it away because you think it won't work."_

_"I'm sorry to disappoint you, Kai." Cole says calmly before he gets up and pushes past Kai. "But that's the end of it."_

_"Cole, don't do this!" Kai yells at him, but Cole just ignores him. "You're going to regret it!"_

_He makes a frustrated sound with his tongue and that sends Kai over the edge. He walks after Cole, faster than he's walking away, and grabs his shoulder to turn him around._

_"Kai, just leave me alone-" Cole bites off the rest of his sentence as Kai's fist connects to his face. He collapses onto the ground, tiny drops of blood spilling onto the polished wood floor, and even though Kai's knuckles sting he can't help but feel satisfied. _

_"I'm not going to watch you mess this up," Kai says as Cole moans a little on the floor. "You're not going to give up, and you most certainly aren't going to let Hale get in your way. Now you're going to get up, fight Hale, and win Ash over, because if you don't, Hale will win and Ash will be gone from you forever. Don't let that happen, got that?"_

_"You're right," Cole says as he slowly gets up. "I can't let Hale take Ash away from me."_

_"That's the spirit," Kai holds out a hand to help him up. "Now go out there and win her over like a true ninja."_


	12. Revelations

For the first time in years I don't dream about the fire. I dream about Fang and Cole, and my deadline. I can't bring myself to hurt them, I can't take the plunge, but inside my head I can hear Fang's laughter as he takes hold of me and forces me forward. I wake up just as my knife slices downward towards Cole's chest.

My face is stiff with tears I must have cried in my sleep, and I wipe them away with one hand.

"You've gotten yourself in real deep, haven't you?" I ask myself, throwing my arm over the side of the bed so I can drag myself out.

My hand hits the bedside table, knocking something to the ground with a loud rattle. I peek over the side to see an unpleasantly familiar scroll lying innocently on the floor. I roll onto my feet and pick up the scroll before I carefully unroll it.

_It's almost time, Miss Ash, and I hope you aren't procrastinating. I'd hate to have to impress on your mind what you should be able to do yourself- you are the monster of the forest after all, and even though you can't change the nightmares of your past, I'm giving you the opportunity to change the situation with your father. I've warned you over and over again to stay detached from your targets, but so far you've insisted on engraining yourself further with them. Make this easier for yourself and kill them all before you get even more attached, especially with a certain dark knight. If not, I'll make sure he's the last to die by your hand._

_ You have three days to do this your way._

_ Fang_

I tremble and drop the scroll on the ground, not even caring as it rolls away under the bed as I collapse back onto the blanket. I roll over onto my stomach and bury my face into the pillow to muffle my sobs. I have to escape this somehow, if not for my sake then for the ninja's, but how can I run if Fang is watching me? He knows about what's gone on between me and Cole, he also knows about my nightmares-

But how did he know about my nightmares? Unless somehow he can see me inside my room? I shudder at the idea, but I can't rule out the possibility. There's no way he clawed himself up the side of the ship to watch me through the window- I would have seen him if he tried, so there must me something inside, like hidden cameras. But how would he do that?

My mind whirrs, and then stops. He'd be able to do anything he wanted if he was here on the ship, or at least had access, and that means…

I leap out of bed, hastily grabbing my belt before I run towards the door and scramble out onto the deck.

He's standing there innocently, and turns around as I walk as calmly as I can towards him, though my heart is pounding.

"You," I growl, so angry I can hardly contain it. "It was you all along."

He gives me an all too innocent smile. "I see you've found me out. It's about time."


	13. Confronting the Enemy

"No more games, Hale," I growl, taking a few steps toward him. The sun's just coming up, casting the entire scene in a melodramatic glow. "You did this to me."

Hale shrugs. "You make it sound like such a bad thing," he stalks closer, stopping a couple of inches away from me. "I'm just trying to help you, Ash. You scratch my back, I'll scratch yours."

"Looks more like blackmail to me," I fight the urge to beat him senseless. "You've been using me to do your own dirty work, and you know what? I've had it. I know who you are and I'm not afraid of you."

"But what about your father, Ash?" he smirks, his gray eyes glinting with something I can only describe as evil. "Break up with me and he's dead."

"You'd never even lay a hand on my father," I clench my hands. "You'd be unconscious before you even got near him."

"Your father is a good fighter, I'll admit that," Hale lowers his voice a little, his gaze flickering over my shoulder. "But you forget my power, Ash. A finger is all I need to twist his mind to my advantage."

"You wouldn't dare," I let my hand drift to my belt.

"Wouldn't I?" he grins smugly as he reaches forward, grabs my waist, and pulls me in and presses his lips roughly against mine. I struggle to escape his grasp and shove him as hard as I can away from me. I wobble a little bit as I push myself off balance, but I regain my footing and reach ot pull out one of my knives. He gives me a look and another smile, before he motions his eyes for me to look back. I turn around to see Cole standing there, looking shocked, embarrassed, and most of all heartbroken.

"Cole," I struggle to explain myself. "It's not what you think! Hale's been blackmailing me and I-"

"Blackmail?" Hale arches an eyebrow. "How quickly you dismiss our love. I thought we had something, Ash."

"You jerk!" I scream back at him, tears starting to stream down my face. "What do you want from me?"

"I think you know the answer," Hale looks from my knives to Cole, then to me. His gaze tells me that this is my chance to end this my way. I take a deep breath and slide a knife from its sheath.

"Ash, what's going on?" Cole asks, taking a few steps closer.

"I'm sorry, Cole," I blink the tears from my eyes. "I'm so, so sorry."

I let my knife fly, straight towards his chest.


	14. Savior

Hale deflects the knife with hardly a wave of his hand before he advances on me. "I gave you the chance, Ash," he clicks his tongue disapprovingly. "But you just had to squander it."

"Run, Cole," I draw another knife. "This is my fight."

"No, it's not," Cole says, and I turn to see the other ninjas have emerged, and look more than a little shocked by the standoff going on. "We're ninja. Fighting bad guys is what we're trained for."

"Cole-" I start to argue with him when Hale grabs my arm and pulls me roughly towards him. An intense pain radiates from his touch into the rest of my body, collecting in my head. I cry out.

"I warned you what would happen," Hale's voice echoes between my ears, "and now you see the end result."

"Ash, what's happening?" Cole asks, pulling his scythe from his back.

"RUN!" I scream, though deep down I know they won't. "You have to run away!"

"How nice," Hale leers, tightening his grip on my arm. "Protecting them until the very end. How disgustingly heroic."

"Let her go, Hale!" Cole yells over my screams. "Face us yourself!"

"Don't even think you are strong enough to take me," Hale snarls and shoves me towards Cole. "I would kill you much too fast. I'd rather see you suffer at the hands of someone you love."

"Cole, please," I beg him, tears running down my face. "Run. I can't control myself."

"What are you talking about?"

It feels like a piece of white-hot metal is being plunged into my skull as Hale forces me forward towards Cole. My arm moves to throw a blade at him, which he easily deflects with his scythe.

"I told you to run!" I yell as my other arm sends another knife spiraling at his chest.

"H-how do we fight him?" Jay asks frantically as one of my knives nearly slices his arm.

"My systems indicate that his power stems from his hands, namely his touch allows him to control someone," Zane explains, ducking to avoid an attack.

"How are you supposed to fight an enemy you can't touch?" Kai asks, sidestepping out of the way of one of my wild swings.

"Worry less about Hale and more about Ash!" Cole barely avoids another thrown knife. "There must be some way to save her!"

"Don't even bother," Hale laughs. "A puppet is a puppet until its master decides. I control her for as long as I want, and there's nothing you or your pesky group of pajama-clad friends can do." He twists his hands and I lunge forward again, a knife in each hand, and attack Cole head-on.

He blocks my attacks as best as he can, but he doesn't fight back. I can see in his eyes that he doesn't want to hurt me, and that threatens to push me over the edge.

"Fight back!" I yell at him. "You have to!"

"I won't hurt you!" His eyes are filled with soft tears as his scythe flickers between me and him. "I can't."

As soon as the words leave his mouth, the hilt of one of my knives smashes into his hand, sending his scythe spiraling off across the ship. Hale pushes me further and I shove Cole to the ground, where his head cracks against the wood and he's dazed. My arm comes up, blade glinting in the rising sun.

Everything runs in slow motion. The other ninja rush painfully slowly to Cole's aid, and Hale laughs maniacally behind me, drunk on victory. All I can see is the sadness in Cole's eyes, and my own dark reflection.

"Finish him!" Hale yells over everything, and brings his hand down.

My arm shudders as I fight against his will, and it feels like every one of my bones are breaking as I resist the impulse.

"No," I choke out, tears running freely down my cheeks. "No!"

Everything shatters all at once as something in my head snaps and I turn on my heel, throwing my knife directly at Hale's chest.

He deflects it easily as I stand unevenly on my feet.

"I underestimated you, Ash," Hale brushes his hair aside. "You're stronger than I originally thought, but not strong enough."

He pushes a hand forward, and some sort of force field shoves Zane, Kai, and Jay away, leaving me and Cole, who's still lying stunned on the ground.

"I hope you know I hate to have to do this to such a pretty girl," Hale sneers as a dark energy starts to surround him. He reaches out a hand and his longbow materializes, looking a lot more formidable than the last time I saw it. "So I'll give you one last chance. Step out of the way now, and I'll let you free. I'll even let you see your father again. Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Maybe before," I throw aside my empty knife belt. "But these people are my friends, and I won't let you hurt them the way you've hurt me."

"So strong, but so stupid," he laughs and pulls an arrow out of the air. "If that's your final decision, then so be it."

He knocks the arrow to the string and pulls back, the arrow tip aimed at the center of my chest. "Say goodbye, Miss Ash."

As the arrow flies towards me in slow motion, all my anger bubbles to the surface. It floods my veins and rushes through my entire body, collecting into my hands and fingertips. I take a breath and feel in my hands something I haven't felt in four years.

My special secret.

I bring my arms up in front of me as tongues of flame erupt in a wide halo around my hands. I can already feel it jumping to escape my control, but I focus it as much as I can on the dark arrow heading towards me. The fire responds and rushes forward in a spiraling column, obliterating the arrow and continuing straight towards Hale. He yells something in disbelief as the flames force him back against the railing of the ship, then over into the air below, screaming.

My hands are strained from the tension of keeping in control, and all at once I force it back. It resists me, pulls at my mind to let it engulf the entire ship, but I learned my lesson. I cry out from the strength it takes to pull the flames back into me, away from everything else until I finally breathe in the last of its power and collapse onto the ground.

The last thing I see before everything goes black is the shadow of Cole's smile.


	15. Home

_So here we are in the final chapter, so thank you so much for reading. This ends the story of Ash the Assassin, but it's not over yet. Keep an eye out for the next part of the saga, entitled "The Girl Who Played With Fire", which will pick up where this leaves off, and will include... more familiar characters ;). _

_Thanks again, and, as always, I hope you enjoy! _

_-Fell_and_Fallen-_

* * *

My eyes slowly open, and as my vision starts to clear I look down at my right arm, which is mostly bandaged in loose gauze, and even though I have no physical injuries, everything aches like I've just plummeted a few stories.

I slowly start to sit up, every muscle groaning in protest. I'm back in my bed, as if nothing had ever happened. My knife belt lies neatly on the table next to me, every knife in its sheath, looking untouched and unused, and as memories start to trickle back in I wonder where everyone is. I listen, waiting for some sort of noise to tell me where everyone's gone, and as soon as I do the door creaks open.

I look up blearily as Jay steps into the room, gasps, then rushes out again. I don't know exactly what I expected, but as the door slowly starts to shut, that wasn't it.

I move my feet over the edge of the bed and slowly get to my feet, my legs a little wobbly, but I'm able to stand up. I reach toward my knife belt, then stop and start at my hands. I turn my right wrist over where my bracelet is turned the wrong way, and despite the fact that it had an inferno as hot as the sun blazing over it, the gold dragon still stays as untouched and beautiful as ever.

The door bangs open again, and I jump, knocking my knife belt to the ground and nearly throwing myself back into bed.

"I told you she's awake!" Jay exclaims as he waves the people behind him into the room. Sensei Wu enters, giving me a kind smile.

"So she is," he steps forward, holding a walking stick. "You gave us quite a scare there, Ash. You've been asleep for almost five days now."

I look up as more people sidle in- Jay, Kai, Zane, and Nya- but Cole is nowhere to be seen.

"I-I'm sorry," I say, looking back into Sensei's wise eyes. "I know you must be mad at me, I mean, I deceived all of you, and nearly killed you. Believe me when I say any punishment you give me is justified."

"What are you talking about?" Nya snorts, catching me off guard. "You saved us, Ash."

"Nya's right," Kai agrees. "I mean, you should've seen yourself out there. Why didn't you tell us earlier about your power? It's amazing!"

I snap my jaw shut. "I- what?"

"You saved us," Jay repeats. "All of us. We're not going to punish you- heck, you should get an award! Aren't you happy about that?"

"Honestly, my power has done much more harm than good," I lower my eyes a little.  
"I don't want to push you, Ash, but your nightmares, what happened to your town- was that a result of your power?" Zane asks, and I feel my heart tremble with old pains.

There's a few seconds of silence as I organize my chaotic mind. "Yes," I finally answer. "I've had these… abilities since before I can even remember. My father spent all my time teaching me how to control it, but it's just so strong. Every emotion feeds it, and just the amount of power it takes to keep it under control- well, you've seen what it's done to me. Four years ago, I lost control. I don't remember how it happened; all I know is that I burnt my town to ashes. My dad disappeared soon afterwards, and everyone in town hated me for what I did, so… I changed my name, ran away into the forest, and searched for my dad. It wasn't until a while ago that I met someone who said they could help me, for a price, and like an idiot I believed him. I put you all in danger for a selfish desire."

"Ash, you were looking for your dad," Kai gives me a kind smile. "Any one of us would've done the same thing. Hale took advantage of that. He's the one you should blame."

"This has been a very eventful time for all of us," Sensei Wu nods, "and there is still much to be done. Your power, Ash, is an ancient one I haven't felt in many years, and I feel there's much more you have left to discover. If you'd like, I can help teach you control of it, and perhaps in the meantime we can also find your father."

"You'd do that for me?"

"You've done more than enough to help us," he answers, "and the only thing you can do is get stronger in the case that your father is going to need your help."

He starts to leave, and I can't hold it back any longer.

"Where's Cole?"

He stops and turns back around. "He's in his room, recovering as you should. You can go speak to him now if you want, but only briefly. For now you must rest until you heal. No war was ever won with injured soldiers."

Sensei Wu exits the room, followed by a few muttered, and in Jay's case shouted, 'goodbyes' and 'get well soons', then I'm left alone. My hand moves to the sun necklace nestled comfortably against my collar, and a trail of fingertips reawakens old, happy memories. I open my eyes and look down at the shining bracelet on my wrist, and I know what I have to do.

* * *

I knock on the door, and after a couple of seconds there's a muffled 'come in'. The door creaks open on a dimly lit room, and I catch Cole's shape huddled on his bed.

"Oh, Ash!" Cole gets up a little too fast and winces, clutching his head.

"Don't get up!" I wave him to lie back down. "You'll only make it worse."

He stays sitting up and gives me a glowing smile. "Kai told me you were awake," he grins, most of his head bandaged in the same way as my arm, "and he told me a lot of other stuff, a little too fast to tell the truth. Are you really staying here to train as a ninja?"

I can't help but laugh. "Not exactly. Sensei Wu offered to let me stay in order to control my power," I answer, looking down at my hands.

"Are you going to take it?"

I bite my lip. "That depends on a few things," I smile a little.

"Like what?" he asks.

"Well, one, whether or not I can handle being on a floating airship for much longer," I shrug. "Two, whether or not I'm ready to try and use my power again after what happened to my town and three… I want to know if you're okay with it."

"Me? Okay with it?" Cole laughs. "That's not even a question! Of course I'm okay with it!"

"But Cole, I nearly killed you- multiple times in fact," I let out a breath.

"That's was Hale controlling you, Ash," he gives me a reassuring smile.

"Not all the time," I look away from him. "He wanted me to kill you, and if I didn't meet you guys the way I did, I might have."

"Ash, you've saved me more times than you've tried to kill me," Cole puts a hand on my wrist. "It kind of compensates."

His palm brushes against the bracelet, and he looks a little surprised. "You're still wearing it?" he asks.

"Of course," I smile a little. "It's surprisingly strong. It even lasted through the fire spurting out of my hands when I was fighting Hale."

"You know, Kai helped me make this," he muses, turning the bracelet with his fingertips. "He said making a gift with your own hands makes it more special, and lets the creator literally pour his feelings into the item he makes. When I made this all I could feel was my faithfulness and loyalty to you, like I'd follow you into battle without a question, even if I knew we had no chance of winning. I guess my feelings for you let this survive through the blaze you created, even though it's the same one that destroyed your home."

He pauses for a second. "That sounded a lot less cheesy in my head," he mutters somewhat to himself, making me laugh.

"Like a knight in shining armor," I mutter to myself.

"What?"

"Nothing," I look away to hide my blush.

"So… does this mean you're going to stay?" Cole asks, sounding nervous.

I look down at my fingers, which are twined tightly with Cole's. "You know," I lift my eyes to his. "I think I might. All I can do is get stronger."

There are a few loud cheers from behind the door, then loud hushing noises and I can only imagine the other three ninja piled on top of each other trying to listen in.

"I need to thank you, Cole," I say. "Without you, I wouldn't have broken out of Hale's control, and as weird as the circumstances were, I'm really glad I met you."

"I could say the same," he smiles, "and, Ash... Kai mentioned that you changed your name?"

"Yeah," I rub my arm a little awkwardly. "I felt so guilty about what happened to my town, I started to call myself 'Ash'."

"So what was your name before?"

I let out a breath through my nose. "You really want to know?" I ask, and he nods. "My name was Iris."

"Iris," he says it slowly. "It does fit you."

I smile a little before I lean forward and kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks."

Cole looks a little stunned, but quickly recovers and squeezes my hand a bit tighter. He locks eyes with me and slowly moves toward me. My eyes close as he pulls me closer, then the door crashes to the ground.

Cole and I jump away from each other, and look to see Zane, Jay, and Kai lying dazed on the broken door. There's a second of silence, then we all burst into laughter, and don't stop for a long time.

* * *

I walk into my room, ready for the first full night's sleep I've had in a long time.

I collapse on my bed with a sigh. Everything is finally going right, and for once, I'm looking forward to my future.

My arm hits something, and when I grab onto whatever it is, it feels like paper. I sit up and look at the scroll in my hands. It doesn't look like the ones Hale left for me. It's gold and intricately designed with curlicues and other designs around the edges, and as I unravel it I'm faced with something I haven't seen in four years.

My dad's handwriting.

_My darling Iris, it's been much to long since I've had contact with you. __ I am alive and well, and __I'm sure you've grown into a strong, beautiful woman like your mother. I want you to know that what happened in the village was never your fault- if anything it was mine for not protecting you._

_I know you've been searching for me, but I want you to forget about me for now. Focus on your training and one day we will see each other again, I promise._

_As always, I love you more than you can imagine._

_- Your father, Desmond -_

I let the scroll fall to the floor as I burst into tears. My father's alive, and he knows where I am.

Everything is just so perfect, and for the first time in four years, I finally feel like I'm where I need to be.

I'm finally home.


End file.
